The August issue of the award-winning digital magazine explores the socio-cultural side of identity and the human body.

From nature to nurture, science to industry, psychology to sociology, identity is a site of invariable change.

And the human body is the playing field where these forces of change - both external and internal - duel it out to win prime position.

The August edition of Al Jazeera's award-winning monthly magazine looks at the body from a socio-cultural perspective, exploring the forces which impact upon human beings - from disease and abuse to gender, religion and capitalism.

We delve into the history of tattoos; look at the impact of overcrowding and the cost of fertility; discuss the rights of individuals to alter their 'natural' forms; examine the impact globalisation has on notions of the body; and get a glimpse into lives that are pushed to extremes.

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Featured in this issue are:

Hair India: The cult of beauty in the era of globalisation - Following the journey of human hair from the holy temples of India to the production lines of Europe and on to high-end beauty salons around the world

The Body as Canvas - Bodies are increasingly being used to craft a sense of self, with body art and modification staging symbolic rebellions and creating subcultural styles

Africa’s Fight Club - A visual look at men from South Africa's Venda tribe as they engage in a century-old bare knuckle fighting contest

MS and Me - We follow the story of one woman living with multiple sclerosis

The Face of Violence - A look at acid attacks, which have typically been used to subjugate women in deeply patriarchal Pakistan

The Al Jazeera English digital magazine showcases the very best of our journalism from across the globe. Previous issues have honed in on regions and topics including: Turkey, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the African continent, Europe's 'lost' generation, filmmakers, and climate change.

The magazine was recently honoured at the 2013 Webby Awards where it received the People's Voice Award in the Best News Tablet category.

In past years, Al Jazeera English has been named "News Channel of the Year" by the Royal Television Society, received a Peabody award for its coverage of the Arab uprisings, and a Columbia-DuPont award for its coverage of the Haiti earthquake.

The Al Jazeera English magazine is available for free download on iPad, iPhone and Android tablet devices.